Best practices commuting from south of Boston (Quincyish) to Cambridge?

December 8, 2009 10:34 AM

[Boston Filter] Potential new job across from MIT - best place to park daily? Best commute path/plan from Abington (south of Quincy)?

I may potentially be getting a new job at the 101 Broadway building across from the MIT campus. I have never actually commuted into Cambridge/Boston so I am terrified. If I should choose to drive any good parking suggestions? The garage under the building is about $17 or so a day...anyone know of a cheaper option?

Also any commuting suggestions? Best tips if I drive? What if I take the train? Red line from Quincy? Or better to take the commuter rail to South Station from Weymouth?

posted by UMDirector to Travel & Transportation (8 answers total)

If you take the train, I would definitely recommend the Red Line. MBTA Trip Planner estimates a 30 minute train ride in the morning. I'd take that over commuting into the city any day.

If you get the job, though, ask them about parking-- maybe they have some really cheap solutions.
posted by oinopaponton at 10:43 AM on December 8, 2009

I would definitely DEFINITELY take the train if I were you. I hate traffic, and rush hour traffic entering and exiting Boston is no fun at all. Also, parking kind of sucks in Cambridge unless you're parking outside your own residence.

I would just take the commuter rail (they'll have free wireless on every train by the end of the year, if that matters to you) to South Station, then take the red line to Kendall - then it's like three blocks to your work! Sounds like a fantastic commute, considering the distance, actually.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 10:51 AM on December 8, 2009

As someone who works in Cambridge I will affirm the common wisdom that parking is likely to be difficult. If you really must you might try the garage at the Kendall Square Cinema and then walk (not that far) to your work. This is likely to get pricey quickly though.
posted by MasonDixon at 11:14 AM on December 8, 2009

Thirding the commuter rail. Big dig or not, the morning commute on the expressway still sucks. I would think that you are looking at 40 minutes easy by car from Abington. And if there is an accident then good luck.

Unless you did the super early commute, which could work, but then you have parking to deal with. There will be meter spots. Cambridge may have a working parking permit you can apply for.

Commuter rail, while sometimes tedious is a dream compared to that drive.

But if you absolutely must drive it is actually a pretty straight shot. Expressway to storrow drive exit. You can either stay right for Storrow then stay left to cross over the Longfellow into Cambridge or take the Storrow exit but then stay left for Rt28/North Station. Then just get on McGrath head to Kendall.
posted by WickedPissah at 11:18 AM on December 8, 2009

It bears repeating: TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN

Sometimes it will be more of a hassle than it's worth, but most of the time driving will be more of a hassle than it's worth. And you can read, doze, daydream, or whatever else on the train that you can't do while driving.
posted by zizzle at 11:26 AM on December 8, 2009

In case the others didn't make it clear, take the train! (I recommend the red line because it runs more frequently than the commuters, and won't require a change. Changing at South Station is fun and straightforward but can be kind of a drag when you do it every day.)

That said, if you want to keep the driving option open, don't forget to look into the contract/monthly rates for the garage. This can be a significant improvement over paying per day.
posted by whatzit at 11:56 AM on December 8, 2009

A lot of folks coming from there would park at Quincy Adams and take the red line in. Depending on where near MIT you are, it might be better to get off at Central rather than Kendall.

One advantage to the red line is that it's a single trip. With the commuter rail, you have a train change. My hunch is that Quincy Adams would be easier, but I honestly don't know for sure.

I suppose if you're coming up from Abington, you could also park at Braintree station. It's a much smaller garage than Quincy Adams, though, and it doesn't have the right-off-the-highway exit going on.

The other factor is how much the total cost is for parking at Quincy Adams + monthly T fare, vs parking at Weymouth and taking the commuter rail -- which I think is a zone beyond the T rate for the far end of the red line.
posted by rmd1023 at 12:27 PM on December 8, 2009

Nth-ing the idea of either the T or the commuter rail to the T. Don't even think about driving. There is no such thing as a straight shot into Cambridge; you will spend hours a week in traffic. There is no such thing as inexpensive parking in Cambridge. The city doesn't even want cars which is why there are so few public spaces. I suspect the Red Line is less expensive than the Commuter Rail but you could look it up on the MBTA.com website.
posted by birdwatcher at 2:15 PM on December 8, 2009